Mavericks' Dereck Lively II wants to help Cooper Flagg in his rookie year
Flagg was the AP national college player of the year after leading Duke to the Final Four, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks on 38.5% shooting from 3-point range. He became the 22nd player in program history to be a consensus first-team All-American.
The 18-year-old is viewed as a generational prospect on the court and enters next season with tremendous hype after establishing himself as the face of college basketball. Lively was ecstatic that the organization got him as a former Duke alum and is eager to help him.
"We welcome in Coop with open arms," Lively said Sunday at his basketball camp, via Christian Clark of The Athletic. "I called him earlier today. He is always having a smile on his face or is cracking a joke. I'm making sure that he is feeling as comfortable as possible, giving him any little detail or any little thing to get him by, because whenever I was in his position, I remember how frightened I was, and I was only 19. He is 18."
Flagg debuted with the Mavericks last month in the NBA Summer League, averaging 20.5 points, five rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals on 35.7% shooting from the field. He produced 31 points in his second and final appearance on July 12.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd believes Flagg landed in a good situation, with their mixture of established veterans and up-and-coming players like Lively. He believes Flagg can help them win now and will be pushing him on the court every day to maximize his development.
Lively has known Flagg for 2-3 years now, given their connection to Duke. He wants to see Flagg enjoy the transition to the next level and is excited to get to work with him.
"He has just been the same, smiling, cracking-joke kid as I've always known," Lively said. "I'm glad that he has been able to still be a person and not having too much of the spotlight rain on him. No matter if he is in the gym or coming by the house, he always just has a smile on his face and is being Coop."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Bears give update on their future in Chicago: Latest plan for new stadium
LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS — The days of the Chicago Bears playing home games in the city of Chicago are numbered if all goes according to plan this fall. Bears chairman George McCaskey and team president Kevin Warren reiterated Friday in a news conference following a joint practice with the Miami Dolphins that the franchise remains intent on building a new domed stadium (and an accompanying mixed-use development) in suburban Arlington Heights, Illinois, on a 326-acre site that was previously the Arlington International Racecourse. Warren said Friday team officials are meeting weekly with Arlington Heights leaders, and initial designs for the project are already done. He was optimistic the project will begin later this year and formally break ground in early 2026. The comments came less than a week after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said again the team 'belongs in the city of Chicago' during a local radio interview with 670 The Score. 'We are still extremely focused on Arlington Heights, on building our stadium there. That's the plan,' Warren said in his opening remarks. 'We strongly believe that is the only location in Cook County (Illinois) that will allow us to build a stadium, the new Chicago Bears stadium, with a fixed roof.' It has been a winding journey to reach this point for the Bears, who have played at Soldier Field on the Chicago lakefront since 1971. The team purchased land in Arlington Heights in 2021 for $197 million with the hope of building a new stadium complex that would also include hotels, housing and entertainment options. But the Bears began negotiating with other potential sites in 2023 after it couldn't agree to a deal on property taxes with Arlington Heights. The Bears and city officials then released plans in April 2024 for a new fixed-roof stadium to be built in Chicago next to the current Soldier Field. But Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called the proposal's use of more than $1 billion in state bonds and taxpayer money to finance the project a 'non-starter.' A year later, the Bears announced they had shifted their focus back to Arlington Heights. 'There's multiple levels of things that have to occur to get a deal done,' Warren said when asked about not being able to work out a deal with the city of Chicago. 'You have to have a willing heart, and I would say Mayor Johnson and the people of Chicago were willing. But then you have to be able to put the deal construct together and make sure it works from a financial standpoint.' The Bears are seeking a state-of-the-art stadium with a fixed roof in hopes of hosting of major events like the Super Bowl, Final Four and College Football Playoff in the future. Warren emphasized the team still needs the Illinois General Assembly to pass a bill this fall that would freeze property tax assessments for designated 'mega projects,' and allow tax bills to be set by local leaders. The Bears' new stadium and mixed-use facility would fall under these parameters. The bill did not come to a vote this past spring. Warren said Friday the project would create more than 56,000 construction jobs and 9,000 permanent jobs. 'These things take time,' McCaskey added. 'It's on us to convince the governor and the state legislators that this is a good idea for the people of Illinois and we need to do a better job at that. This project can be … transformative and the concern is that delay means greater expense and it also means we're missing out on another round of assignment of major events. We need to get in the mix.'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mavericks could pursue LeBron James in 2026 free agency
Mavericks could pursue LeBron James in 2026 free agency originally appeared on The Sporting News LeBron James will be entering his final season under contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025-26. At 40 years old, there's no certainty that the four-time NBA MVP will continue to play for years to come. However, his production hasn't slowed down. He's still helping lead the Los Angeles Lakers to playoff berths and is still putting up impressive stats at his age. James agreed to his player option for the 2025-26 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, but after this upcoming season, he will become an unrestricted free agent. Speculation continues to build around one of basketball's all-time greats, as several teams have emerged as potential suitors for James. One of those teams happening to be the Dallas Mavericks. An NBA executive expects the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, and Golden State Warriors to pursue Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next offseason," Ashish Mathur of A return to his hometown team in the Cleveland Cavaliers would make for James' third stint with the team that drafted him, and the Golden State Warriors would have him paired up with a close friend in Stephen Curry, but the Dallas Mavericks would be a great fit for James. Two of James' teammates that he's won rings with are already on the Mavericks: Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. The NBA's all-time leading scorer will have a decision to make next offseason. It remains to be seen whether James would leave behind new teammate Luka Doncic – and his son, Bronny James – in Los Angeles to join a new team.
Dominion Post
6 hours ago
- Dominion Post
Celtics sign head coach Joe Mazzulla to a contract extension
BOSTON — Boston Celtics president Brad Stevens has said throughout the offseason that that team wanted Joe Mazzulla to be its coach for a long time. It made that more than a proclamation Friday, announcing it has signed Mazzulla to a multi-year contract extension. Length and details of the new deal were not released. In a statement, Mazzulla, a former WVU standout from 2006-11, called his new pact with the Celtics 'a blessing.' 'I would not be here without my faith, my wife, and my children,' Mazzulla said. 'We are thankful for the partnership with our ownership groups, Brad's mentorship, and the support of our staff. Most importantly, I am grateful for the players I have been able to coach the past three seasons. I look forward to competing for the Celtics and the city of Boston.' Mazzulla, 37, is coming off his third season as Boston's coach and has guided the team to the playoffs each season, including the franchise's 18th NBA title to cap the 2023-24 season. He was the youngest head coach to win the NBA Finals since the 1968-69 season, when 35-year-old Bill Russell led the Celtics to the championship as a player-coach. Under Mazzulla, the Celtics have won at least 57 games each of those seasons and topped 60 victories in each of the last two. Though Stevens has never publicly discussed the details of Mazzulla's contract, the coach was initially given an extension shortly after having the interim tag lifted in February 2023. Stevens confirmed in June that Mazzulla had received at least one additional extension prior to his latest one. 'He understands the job and has a passion for the Celtics that is only rivaled by our most die-hard fans,' Stevens said in a statement. 'He's worked hard and accomplished amazing things in his first three years as a head coach — including averaging over 60 wins per season and winning the 2024 NBA Championship. Joe is a gifted leader who brings a consistent commitment to learning, improving, and maximizing each day we get to compete for the Boston Celtics.' Mazzulla originally joined the Celtics in 2019 and spent the next three seasons as an assistant before being interim head coach after former boss Ime Udoka was suspended by the team prior to the start of the 2022-23 season. At WVU, Mazzulla helped lead the Mountaineers to the 2010 Final Four. He scored 17 points in the Elite Eight victory against Kentucky. In the 2008 NCAA tournament, Mazzulla came off the bench to register 13 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in a second-round win against Duke. Mazzulla played in 213 career games with the Mountaineers.
